Tim Rogers, A.A.E. presents former airport management intern, Kristin Scheele with the Executive Director's Coin of Excellence for her outstanding design work. Scheele was instrumental in the development of multiple design projects including the creation of the XD's coin.

Tower Updates

We enjoyed watching theP-51 Mustang and a Navy Bearcat at the airport in August.

John Calvin, controller from Johnson County Executive Tower (OJC),has helped us out for 3 weeks this month.He is a former controller at SLN and knows the airport and local area.He tells us he enjoys working at a "real nice, large airport" like SLN.

Congratulations to the KSU flight team for their showing at the National SAFECON in Ohio.

I enjoyed meeting with the KSU instructor pilots this month.We are looking forward to beginning the new semester in September and working with all the new students and instructors.

Thank You,

Bruce M. Boyle

Manager, KSLN FCT

On the Flightline

The 3-1 Aviation Headquarters Battalion conducts forward arming and refueling point training at the Salina Airport.

As America's Fuel Stop, the Salina Airport Authority is proud to support the fighting men and women of the U.S. and Allied Forces.

Click for PDF.

SeaPort Airlines

At comparable prices, if you could cut your travel time in half, and not have the general hassles of the full airport experience, wouldn't you do it? Hassle free, convenient, affordable, and most importantly-FAST. This is a new option in business and leisure travel.

SeaPort offers daily scheduled flights in the Northwest and Mid-South like the old airlines, but with a notable absence of what makes flying today slow and miserable. How?

No TSA hassles at any of our locations.

Affordable fares.

Our own private terminals.

Arrive 15 minutes before your flight, even with check-in bags.

Free airport parking. (Mandatory Valet in Portland)

Complimentary shuttle service to and from the main terminal in Portland, Memphis & Kansas City.

Commercial air travel in today's climate is difficult at best. The airports are becoming more crowded, have longer lines and with the tighter budgets, speed and convenience seem like a thing of the past. Until now.

The way travel was meant to be, with all the conveniences of private air travel, but without the big price tag. Isn't it about time?

Contract documents for the Salina Airport's new aircraft rescue and firefighting station have been signed and construction is set to begin by mid-October. The Salina Airport's new 10,000-square-foot, $2.5 million fire station will serve aircraft owners and pilots for decades to come. Airport and City of Salina firefighters will operate from a state of the art facility and offer vastly improved fire service to airport users.

The new fire station would not be possible without the contributions of numerous firefighters who have supported both military and civilian aircraft operations since the airport's WWII days. Firefighters who have protected the airport over the years have worked out of less than ideal facilities. The new fire station will be at the best possible airport location for quick responses and provide firefighters with much needed training space.

Once completed the new Salina ARFF station will be dedicated to the efforts of the firefighters who have provided for the safe operation of aircraft at the Salina Airport, Smoky Hill Army Air Base and former Schilling AFB. There has been the presence of aircraft firefighters at the Salina Airport and its military base predecessors since 1942. Seventy years later a truly modern and efficient fire station will house today's firefighters who carry on the tradition of service to pilots and their passengers.

Tim Rogers, A.A.E.

Executive Director

SAA Board accepts $1.98M grant for new ARFF station

The Salina Airport Authority is one important step closer to breaking ground for a new $2.5 million aircraft rescue and firefighting station after a special board meeting held today at the M. J. Kennedy Air Terminal building.

David "Gunner" Wiles, manager of operations examines a full- size layout of the airport fire station.

The board accepted a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program grant of $1,982,364 which will enable the Airport Authority to proceed with the construction of the new fire station. The Airport Authority's share of the project is $500,032.

A bid opening was held August 25 with three qualifying general contractors submitting bids. Bidders were as follows: Kansas City, Mo. firm McKinsie Construction with a bid of $2,749,929; Wichita firm Snodgrass and Sons with a bid of $2,523,107; and Kansas City, Kan. firm Miller-Stauch Construction with a bid of $2,366,000. Other components of the project bring the total development costs to $2.5 million include engineering, construction observation and facility equipment.

The board of directors voted to authorize Executive Director Tim Rogers, A.A.E. to sign a $2,366,000 construction contract with Miller-Stauch Construction's and all project-related documents. Construction is expected to begin in October.

This state of the art 10,000-square-foot airport fire station will increase safety and enable Salina's aircraft rescue and firefighters to better serve the airport users and Salina community for decades to come.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Executive Director Tim Rogers, A.A.E. signs the contract to officially begin construction of a new state of the art aircraft rescue and firefighting station.

FARP operations held at SLN

Soldiers from Fort Riley's Combat Aviation Brigade held a forward arming and refueling point operation at Salina Municipal Airport to aid in training exercises at the Smoky Hill Air National Guard Weapons Range during September.

A FARP is a temporary location organized, equipped and deployed that is normally located closer to the area of operation than the aviation unit's combat service area to support tactical combat operations.

"We perform FARP operations to train and prepare fordeployments," said Capt. Pete Gerboth. "When deployed, our E Company and support battalion operate FARPs which are one of our few means of refueling. Besides the actual refueling of the aircraft, the training involved setting up and tearing down a FARP, as well as establishing a Jump FARP, which simulates moving the FARP after being engaged by hostile forces. Our E Company also trained on reacting to indirect fire, evaluating the casualties, calling in our MEDEVAC and actually flying out the 'injured' soldier back to Ft. Riley."

The use of tablet computers is taking off at Kansas State University Salina, with aviation students and faculty using them to keep up with the aviation industry in the classroom and the cockpit.

"Our first-year students are using iPads in the Intro to Aviation class and ground school," said Tom Karcz, assistant professor of aviation. "Usage is starting to expand through the entire program as our certified flight instructors also use them, and other students

have seen the benefits."

Students in Intro to Aviation take all of their quizzes and tests using the iPad, said Eric Shappee, associate professor of aviation and the class instructor.

Search and rescue professionals from across the state met in Salina Sept. 29-Oct. 1 for the 4th Annual Kansas Technical Rescue Conference, sponsored by the Kansas Search and Rescue Working Group, Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Adjutant General's Department, Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center, Crisis City and Kansas Fire and Rescue Training Institute.

This is one of only a few times that all seven disaster regions within Kansas can collectively train together to the same standards. The turnout is expected to be approximately 175 participants.

The three-day conference began with a half-day session in Building 365 at the Kansas Regional Training Institute, 2930 Scanlan Ave., Salina. Keynotespeaker for the opening session on Sept. 29 was Ari Vidali, CEO, Envisage Technologies and founder of The Readiness Network USA. Presentations included "United We Stand: Is This America's Golden Hour," presented by Vidali, "Alabama Tornado Outbreak," presented by first responders and "Pervasive Readiness: Pipedream or Possible? A Practical Approach to Implementing Public Safety Ecosystems," by Vidali.

Envision this: Hordes of walking corpses roaming the landscape with only one goal - to kill and devour the living.

It is, of course, a nightmare scenario straight out of a Hollywood movie, but what if it were real? Would you be prepared?

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, that is the question posed by the Kansas Division of Emergency Management during October's Zombie Preparedness Month, part of a national campaign to encourage the public to take an all-hazards approach to preparing themselves for tornadoes, floods, fires, hurricanes, terrorist attacks and other disasters - including zombie attacks.

"If you are prepared for a zombie attack, you are prepared for anything," said Devan Tucking-Strickler, KDEM Human Services officer. "No matter what the disaster, the preparations are the same: make an emergency kit that will allow you and your family to survive for a minimum of three days until help can arrive, devise a home emergency plan and practice it so that everyone knows what to do if a disaster strikes - even zombies

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, Kenny Ham will be outrunning the zombies -- but it remains to be seen whether his vehicle of choice will be a boat or an all-terrain vehicle that doubles as a street-legal car. Either way, both vehicles run on electric power and solar energy. That means Ham won't be relying on gas, which he says will be a commodity that will not exist in the event of an apocalypse.

Ham, a senior in mechanical engineering technology at Kansas State University Salina, and his brother, Michael, a physicist in computer vision research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, design electric vehicles. Their latest project is the ApocalypsEV, an electric vehicle built with a zombie apocalypse in mind. Should the apocalypse not come to fruition, the vehicle could still prove useful as a prototype for future electric cars that are cheaper and use solar power more efficiently.

"We want to build an electric vehicle that everyone can afford," said Ham, who is from Lubbock, Texas. "Our ultimate goal is to reduce oil usage by providing a safe, roadworthy vehicle that could be used for short commutes, running errands, off-road fun, or surviving a zombie apocalypse. The ApocalypsEV is like the Model T of electric vehicles: It's cheap, basic and affordable."

Michael Hetchler, senior in aviation maintenance, Oxford, Mich., earned his General Radiotelephone Operator License from the Federal Communications Commission. He is the first student to do so in recent history.

"The avionics industry can require an avionics license before hiring. This can be the older FCC, which is still required by a lot of industry, or the newer National Center for Aerospace & Transportation Technologies' Aircraft Electronics Technician license," said Raylene Alexander, assistant professor of avionics.

Two Kansas State University Salina engineering technology programs have earned renewed accreditation from the Technology Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology.

K-State Salina's electronic and computer technology program and the mechanical engineering technology program are reaccredited in the Next General Review category, which is the best possible outcome for any accreditation visit conducted by ABET, according to Saeed Khan, engineering technology department head.

The accreditation process analyzes every aspect of a program, including faculty quality, teaching resources and technology, facilities, academic curricula, connections with industry and the community, and student services.

One percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but we need 100 percent of Americans to be supporting our troops and their families. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden are asking Americans to get involved any way they can.

The MAC has pledged 100 service hours to Operation Honor Cards in honor of the military, their families and Veterans. We are encouraging the community to also participate by sending a message of thanks, sharing your story of support, pledging service hours, or starting your own volunteer project.